Probate Attorney in Northglenn, Colorado
How can a lawyer assist in the probate process?
How can a lawyer assist in the probate process?
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probates just the court process after
you pass away so what we do is come in
and make sure that all the steps are
followed and that starts with getting
you appointed with the court a lot of
people don’t realize that can take weeks
to sometimes months especially if you
don’t do it right and you have to send
paperwork back and forth and speaking of
time limits probate in Colorado has to
be open for six months which is why it’s
so good to have a plan that avoids
probate you save a lot of time and money
but we work with you to get you
appointed as quickly as possible
transfer any assets that may be in the
decedent’s estate so houses land
minerals bank accounts retirement
accounts all that kind of stuff and then
most importantly we help you with
creditors so creditors can be pretty
sneaky in Probate and they may tell you
oh you owe us fifty thousand dollars
because Dad had a credit card with us or
whatever creditors may come in and say
and legally you’re not obligated to pay
creditors uh bills or debts or anything
like that unless you’re a joint owner or
something else is specifically tying you
to that credit card or whatever the debt
is and sometimes they’ll lie to you and
say you owe that and until you get an
attorney involved they’ll keep calling
you and legally once you tell them you
have an attorney or an attorney reaches
out they have to stop bothering you
which is huge for people one number we
just found out in a recent research we
just did is that we saved our clients
over a million dollars in the past two
years alone just on stopping creditor
claims so creditors have four months to
make claims we get you through that four
month period we negotiate with the
creditors for you and a lot of times
we’re able to get those creditor claims
completely dismissed because a lot of
times the the estate’s responsible for
them not the people that’s the biggest
help for an attorney but then obviously
getting distribution checks out to the
beneficiaries making sure the money goes
to the right spot the IRS is taken care
of no one ever won to deal with them but
death and taxes is kind of what
probate’s all about and then we wrap
things up with the court so we take the
legal burdens off the personal
representative and the family shoulders
so they don’t have to worry about it
Northglenn, CO estate planning & probate attorney Jeff Althaus talks how a lawyer can assist in the probate process. He explains that probate is simply the court process that takes place after a person’s passing. Our role is to ensure that all necessary steps are followed, starting with getting you appointed with the court. Many people are unaware that this can take weeks, or even months, especially if not done correctly, as it involves exchanging paperwork back and forth. It’s worth noting that probate in Colorado must remain open for a mandatory six-month period. This emphasizes the importance of having a plan in place to avoid probate, saving significant time and money. However, we work diligently to expedite your appointment as much as possible.
Our services also encompass transferring any assets held within the deceased’s estate, such as properties, land, minerals, bank accounts, and retirement accounts. Additionally, we provide essential assistance with creditors. Creditors can be quite cunning during probate, making claims for outstanding debts, such as credit card balances, even if you aren’t legally obligated to pay them unless you have a joint ownership or specific ties to the debt. They may persistently contact you until an attorney intervenes. However, once you inform them of your legal representation or when an attorney contacts them, they are legally obliged to cease their harassment. This is incredibly beneficial for our clients, as recent research has shown that we have saved them over a million dollars in the past two years alone by stopping fraudulent creditor claims.
Our expertise also extends to guiding you through the four-month period during which creditors can make claims. We negotiate with creditors on your behalf and often achieve complete dismissal of these claims since they are typically the responsibility of the estate, not the individuals. This aspect of our service provides significant relief. Additionally, we ensure that distribution checks are accurately allocated to beneficiaries, address any IRS-related matters (nobody enjoys dealing with them apart from during probate), and conclude all necessary proceedings with the court.
By shouldering the legal burdens of the personal representative and the family, we alleviate their worries and ensure a smooth probate process.
